Modified retinoid compounds and their uses

ABSTRACT

A method of minimizing or reducing the toxicity of a retinoid having a free carboxyl group and the resulting modified retinoids are described. The method comprises the step of esterifying the carboxyl group of the retinoid with a highly sterically hindered compound, which is preferably a secondary or tertiary alcohol. The resulting retinoid esters are rendered much less toxic than the starting or parent retinoid. This process provides a retinoid ester analog of reduced toxicity so that it may be administered orally with minimal side effects and with a much greater therapeutic window. The modified retinoid compounds are useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of all diseases and disorders where retinoid compounds have been shown effective.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on and claims priority from provisional patentApplication No. 60/440,683 filed on Jan. 17, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward retinoids, and moreparticularly to a method of reducing the toxicity of retinoids andmodified retinoids having reduced toxicity.

All trans-retinol, the major circulating form of vitamin A, is convertedin the body to retinaldehyde and finally to all-trans-retinoic acid(atRA) (Blomhoff et al., 1992, Annu. Rev. Nutr. 12:37-57). atRA servesas the active form of vitamin A in cellular differentiation and growth,and embryonic development, whereas the aldehyde serves as the activeform in the visual cycle (Palczewski and Saari, 1997, Curr. Opin.Neurobiol. 7:500-504). It is also believed that atRA serves as theactive form in the reproductive functions of vitamin A (Clagett-Dame andDeLuca, 2002, Annu. Rev. Nutr. 22:347-381).

atRA, in addition to being a functionally active form of vitamin A, isalso the parent of a family of drugs used both topically and orally forthe treatment of a number of skin conditions (Ellis and Krach, 2001, J.Am. Acad. Dermatol. 45:S150-S157; Zouboulis, 2001, Skin Pharmacol.14:303-315). Furthermore, it and some of its isomers are beingconsidered as chemo-preventive agents, for example in epithelial tumors,and may also serve as a therapy for certain types of leukemias (Fenauxand Degos, 2000, Leukemia 14:1371-1377). atRA is believed to function bybinding to a series of retinoic acid receptor subtypes, α, β and γ, thatalso vary in sequence due to differences in promoter usage and splicing(Chambon, 1996, FASEB J. 10:940-954). atRA and its analogs are believedto act through a nuclear receptor (RAR) to activate or suppress targetgenes responsible for its actions (Clagett-Dame and Plum, 1997, Crit.Rev. Euk. Gene Exp. 7:299-342; McCaffery and Dräger, 2000, CytokineGrowth Factor Rev. 11:233-249). atRA is formed in regulated quantitiesbecause it is extremely potent and readily activates the retinoic acidreceptors (Duester, 2000, Eur. J. Biochem. 267:4315-4324). atRA is alsorapidly metabolized so that its lifetime is relatively short (Robertsand DeLuca, 1967, Biochem. J. 102:600-605).

Because it is immediately active, pharmacological amounts of orallyadministered RA isomers have very serious side effects (Armstrong etal., 1994, in The Retinoids, pp. 545-572; DiGiovanna, 2001, J. Am. Acad.Dermatol. 45:S176-S182). Among them are frank toxicity resulting inweight loss, inanition, eye encrustation, and bone loss. Common sideeffects with pharmacological use of 13-cis RA (isotretinoin), a majororally administered form of RA, includes mucocutaneous toxicity andhyperlipidemia (Ellis and Krach, 2001, J. Am. Acad. Dermatol.45:5150-5157). An even more serious problem is that RA isomers havesignificant teratogenic activity in pregnant mammals (Collins and Mao,1999, Ann. Rev. Pharmacol. 39:399-430; Nau, 2001, J. Am. Acad. Dermatol.45:S183-S187). These side effects have been a serious limitation to theuse of oral retinoids in therapy. Although topically applied retinoidscarry little teratogenic liability (Nau, 1993, Skin Pharmacol.6:535-544; Buchan et al., 1994, J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 30:428-434; Chenet al., 1997, J. Clin. Pharmacol. 37:279-284), there are othertoxicities associated with this route of administration that limit theiruse including skin irritation (Orfanos et al., 1997, Drugs 53:358-388).A major reason for both oral and topical toxicity is that the retinoidsare totally and immediately available upon administration. A processwhereby a retinoid can be made available in vivo more slowly and morecontinuously would avoid peaks and valleys in the availability of theretinoid thereby providing an effective in vivo level of the compoundover a more prolonged period of time and also avoiding or substantiallyreducing the toxicities that often result from the sudden availabilityof excessive amounts of the substance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method for modulating and regulatingthe in vivo activity of biologically active retinoid compounds, such asall-trans-retinoic acid. More specifically, this invention providesmodified retinoid compounds that exhibit a desirable and highlyadvantageous pattern of biological activity in vivo, namely, the moregradual onset and more prolonged duration of activity relating to cellproliferation, cell differentiation and morphogenesis. As a consequenceof such advantageous properties, these compounds exhibit minimal or atleast substantially reduced toxicity as compared to the starting orparent retinoids and thus represent novel therapeutic agents that may beincorporated into a pharmaceutical composition containing apharmaceutically acceptable excipient for the treatment and prophylaxisof all diseases and disorders where retinoid compounds have been showneffective, such as proliferative skin disorders characterized byabnormal cell proliferation or cell differentiation e.g. dermatitis,eczema, keratosis, acne and psoriasis. They should also be especiallyuseful for the treatment of neoplastic diseases such as skin cancer,colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, ovariancancer, neuroblastoma, and leukemia as well as for the treatment of skinconditions such as wrinkles, lack of adequate skin firmness, lack ofadequate dermal hydration, and insufficient sebum secretion.

Structurally, the key feature of the modified retinoid compounds havingthese desirable biological attributes is that they are esterified with ahighly sterically hindered compound, preferably an alcohol. Depending onvarious structural factors—e.g. the type, size, structural complexity—ofthe substituents on the attached alcohol, these derivatives are thoughtto modulate the biological action of the retinoid by hydrolyzing to theretinoid at different rates in vivo, thus providing for the “slowrelease” of the retinoid which results in a much greater therapeuticwindow for the biologically active retinoid in the body.

The in vivo activity profiles of such compounds can, of course, befurther modulated by the use of mixtures of derivatives (e.g. mixturesof different retinoid ester derivatives) or the use of mixturescomprising one or more retinoid derivative together with one or moreunderivatized retinoid compounds or in combination with otherbiologically active compounds such as vitamin D compounds.

It is important to stress that the critical structural feature of theretinoid derivatives identified above is the presence of a highlysterically hindered group attached to the carboxyl group of the retinoidmolecule. The presence of a highly sterically hindered group at thatposition imparts on the resulting derivatives the desirable slow releasebiological activity profile mentioned above. The fact that theintroduction of a highly sterically hindered group at the free carboxylgroup of the retinoid molecule markedly modulates the in vivo biologicalactivity pattern of the resulting derivative was not appreciatedpreviously. The realization of the importance of this specificmodification, and the demonstration of its marked and highly beneficialbiological effects form the basis of this invention.

Initially three sterically hindered alcohol esters of atRA weresynthesized, namely, the t-butyrate ester (retinoyl t-butyrate, alsoreferred to in this application as t-butyl-RA) as well as the pinacolester (retinoyl pinacol) and the cholesterol ester (retinoylcholesterol). The results of biological testing reveal that thet-butyrate ester is as active in vivo when given orally as is atRA. Yetwhen t-butyl-RA was given in large excess, it proved to be relativelynon-toxic and, furthermore, a 10-fold higher dose of this compoundcompared to atRA was required to produce equivalent teratogenic effects.The pinacol ester appeared nearly as active as atRA in supporting growthof vitamin A-deficient rats compared to atRA. The toxicity of thiscompound was not tested but likely it also represents a very non-toxicform of atRA. The cholesterol ester was less effective in supporting thegrowth of vitamin D-deficient rats, but was till superior to vehicle inthis activity.

Since almost all of the active ligand-specific retinoids have freecarboxyl groups, esterifying them with a sterically hindered alcohol canbe used to slow down the biological actions of the retinoids, therebymarkedly reducing their toxicity at pharmaceutically acceptable dosesand providing a much greater therapeutic window. The present inventionthus provides a method whereby a retinoid can be rendered much lesstoxic, by derivatization with a highly sterically hindered compound,preferably an alcohol, so that the ester will be slowly hydrolyzed inthe body to the retinoid. This would allow the retinoid derivative, i.e.the retinoid pro-drug, to be administered with much less danger of boneloss, weight loss, inanition, mucocutaneous irritation, hyperlipidemiaand teratogenicity, which are side effects typically associated withoral retinoid use; or skin irritation as can occur with the use oftopically applied retinoids.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating growth of vitamin A-deficient rats givenoil vehicle, or 83 pmole/day of either all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) ort-butyl-retinoic acid (t-butyl-RA) for five days;

FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating growth of vitamin A-deficient rats givenoil vehicle or 166 pmole/day of either all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) ort-butyl-retinoic acid (t-butyl-RA) for five days;

FIG. 3 is a bar graph summarizing the weight data illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2;

FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating growth of vitamin A-deficient rats givenoil vehicle or 83 pmole/day of either all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA),the pinacol ester of atRA, or the cholesterol ester of atRA for fivedays;

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the toxicity of all-trans-retinoic acid(atRA) versus t-butyl-retinoic acid (t-butyl-RA);

FIG. 6 is a graph similar to FIG. 5 illustrating the results of a secondindependent study of the toxicity of all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA)versus t-butyl-retinoic acid (t-butyl-RA); and an oil vehicle;

FIG. 7 is a bar graph showing the toxicity of all-trans-retinoic acid(atRA) as illustrated by the reduction in testes weight of the rats usedto obtain the data of FIGS. 5 and 6; and

FIG. 8 is a bar graph illustrating the teratogenic activity exhibited byall-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) compared to the lack of toxicity oft-butyl-retinoic acid (t-butyl-RA) at 0.1 mmole/kg.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward a method of minimizing orreducing the toxicity of a retinoid having a free carboxyl groupcomprising the step of esterifying the carboxyl group with a highlysterically hindered compound, which is preferably an alcohol. Theresulting retinoid esters are rendered much less toxic than the startingor parent retinoid. This process provides a retinoid ester analog ofreduced toxicity so that it may be administered orally with minimal sideeffects and with a much greater therapeutic window.

Retinoic acid (RA) plays a fundamental role in cell proliferation, andcell differentiation and it may also prevent malignant transformation(Darmon, 1991, Sem. Dev. Biol. 2:219). The effects of RA and syntheticderivatives are mediated by two classes of nuclear receptors, theretinoic acid receptors (RARs) which belong to the erbA-relatedsteroid/thyroid nuclear receptor superfamily and the retinoid Xreceptors (RXRs) which also belong to the same super family ofsteroid/thyroid hormones. Retinoids are analogs of vitamin A. Any of thesynthetic retinoids that activate RARs and RXRs and have a free carboxylgroup can be esterified in accordance with the present process to makethem less toxic. In the present description, the term “retinoid” and/or“retinoid compound” refers to a class of compounds consisting of fourisoprenoid units joined in a head-to-tail manner. All retinoids may beformally derived from a monocyclic parent compound containing fivecarbon-carbon double bonds and a functional group at the terminus of theacyclic portion. The term vitamin A should be used as the genericdescriptor for retinoids exhibiting qualitatively the biologicalactivity of retinol. This term should be used in derived terms such asvitamin A activity, vitamin A deficiency, vitamin A antagonist, etc.Examples of retinoids useful in the present process include9-cis-retinoic acid, 11-cis-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid,9,13-di-cis-retinoic acid, benzoic acid-terminated retinoids and theirheterocyclic analogs such as TTNPB, TTAB, Am80, Am580, SRI 1251,SR11247, CD666, CD367, chalcone-4-carboxylic acids,flavone-4′-carboxylic acids, etc. (Loeliger et al., 1980, Eur. J. Med.Chem-Dhim. Ther. 15:9), (Kagechika et al., 1989, J. Med. Chem. 32:834),(Dawson et al. 1995, J. Med. Chem. 38:3368) illustrated below as well as

napthalenecarboxylic acid-terminatedated retinoids such as TTNN, CD437,CD417 or adapalene (Dawson et al., 1983, J. Med. Chem. 26:1653), (Dharet al., 1999, J. Med. Chem. 42:3602) and many other carboxylic acidretinoids (AGN 190299 or tazarotenic acid and R_(o) 10-9359 oracitretin).

Additional synthetic retinoids useful in the present method aredescribed and illustrated below as well as in Dawson et al, “SyntheticRetinoids and their Usefulness In Biology and Medicine,” Vitamin A andRetinoids, M. A. Livrea (ed.), pp, 161-196 (2000). See also: retinoidslisted in http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/misc/ret.html 5 as well as inArch. Biochem. Biophys., 1983, 224, 728-731; Eur. J. Biochem., 1982,129, 1-5; J. Biol. Chem., 1983, 258, 5329-5333; Pure Appl. Chem., 1983,55, 721-726; Biochemical Nomenclature and Related Documents, 2ndedition, Portland Press, 1992, pages 247-251. The following listcorrelates the structures hereinafter shown with its name and/or codenumber.

Retinoid Structure Name/code number 3-1 trans-RA 3-2 9-cis-RA 3-3TTNPB/Ro13-7410 3-4 UAB8 3-5 CD367 3-6 SR11365 3-7 SR11256 3-8 Am580 3-9Am80 3-10 AGN 193836 3-11 CD2019 3-12 BMS188970 3-13 Ro48-2249 3-14TTNN/SR3957 3-15 BMS185282 3-16 BMS185283 3-17 BMS185354 3-18 SR112543-19 Ro44-4753 3-20 CD437 3-21 LGD100568 3-22 SR11217 3-23 LDG1069 3-24SR11246 3-25 SR11345 3-26 LDG100268 3-27 AGN 191701 3-28 AGN 192849 3-29HX600 nr⁶ Ro25-7386

The highly sterically hindered alcohols useful in the present methodcomprise an alcohol selected from the group consisting of secondaryalcohols and tertiary alcohols and mixtures thereof. In the presentdescription, the term “secondary alcohol” refers to an alcohol havingthe formula

where R₁ and R₂, which may be the same or different, are eachindependently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group whichmay be straight chain or branched in all isomeric forms having 1 to 20carbon atoms, preferably 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and aryl. The term “aryl”in this description refers to a phenyl-, or an alkyl-, nitro- orhalo-substituted phenyl group.

In the present description, the term “tertiary alcohol” refers to analcohol having the formula

where R₃, R₄ and R₅ which may be the same or different are eachindependently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group whichmay be straight chain or branched in all isomeric forms having 1 to 10carbon atoms, preferably 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and an aryl group. Thepreferred tertiary alcohols are t-butyl alcohol, pinacol andcholesterol.

Synthesis

The preparation of retinoid ester compounds can be accomplished by acommon general method, i.e. the conversion of the retinoid into itscorresponding chloride or anhydride followed by reaction with thealcohol. The process represents an application of the convergentsynthesis concept, which has been applied effectively for thepreparation of various esters.

The overall process for the synthesis of the t-butyl ester is summarizedby the SCHEMES 1-5.

Thus, to the all-trans-retinoic acid 1 in ether, was addedN,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, tert-butanol and catalytic amounts ofdimethylaminopyridine and the reaction mixture was stirred for 24 h atroom temperature to get the tert-butyl ester of retinoic acid (SCHEME1). tert-Butyl ester of all-trans-retinoic acid 2 was also obtained froman intermediate acid chloride. The intermediate acid chloride could beobtained by the usage of oxalyl chloride or thionyl chloride. Thus, theretinoic acid is treated with equimolar quantities of oxalyl chloride at0° C. to get the acid chloride and allowed to react in situ withequimolar amounts of pyridine and t-butyl alcohol at room temperature indark for 4-5 h SCHEME 2).

The ester can also be obtained by the reaction of all-trans-retinoicacid with carbonyldiimidazole to get the reactive imidazole which reactswith t-butyl alcohol to give the corresponding ester (SCHEME 3).

EXAMPLE 1 (Scheme 2)

Preparation of all-trans-retinoic acid tert-butyl ester 2: To a solutionof all-trans retinoic acid (100 mg, 0.33 mmol) in anhydrous ether wasadded oxalyl chloride (42.3 mg, 0.333 mmol) at 0° C. and stirred at thattemperature for 30 minutes and pyridine (28.7 mg, 0.363 mmol),2-methyl-2-propanol (26.8 mg, 0.363 mmol) was added and stirred at roomtemperature in dark after which time the reaction was complete asindicated by the TLC. The reaction mixture was then quenched with waterand extracted with ether (3×10 ml), saturated sodium bicarbonatesolution (3×5 ml) and again with water (3×5 ml), dried (MgSO₄) andevaporated. The thick residue was redissolved in hexane and applied onsilica Sep-Pak cartridge (2 g). Elution with hexane/ethyl acetate(9.7:0.3) provided the butyl ester of retinoic acid. Final purificationwas achieved by HPLC (10 mm×25 cm Zorbax-Sil column, 4 mL/min) usinghexane/isopropanol (90:10) solvent system. Pure all-trans retinoylbutyrate 2 (98 mg, 82.6%) was eluted at R_(v) 13 mL as a thick oil. ¹HNMR (CDCl₃): δ 1.034 (9H, s, t-Bu), 1.546 (3H, s, 20-CH₃), 1.719 (3H, s,19-CH₃), 2.021 (6H, s, 16 & 17-CH₃), 2.405 (3H, s, 18-CH₃), 5.784 (1H,s, 14-H), 6.150 (1H, d, J=5.61 Hz, 7-H), 6.170 (1H, s, 10-H), 6.304 (1H,d, J=4.43 Hz, 12-H), 6.335 (1H, d, J=5.49 Hz, 8-H), 7.105 (1H, dd,J=11.48, 15 Hz, 1 1-H); MS m/z (relative intensity) 356 (M⁺, 43), 342(96), 328 (23), 300 (98).

EXAMPLE 2 (Scheme 1)

A solution of all-trans retinoic acid (100 mg, 0.33 mmol),N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (74.2 mg, 0.36 mmol), 2-methyl-2-propanol(26.68 mg, 0.36 mmol) and 4-dimethylaminopyridine (0.12 mg, 0.001 mmol)in anhydrous ether (5 ml) was stirred at room temperature in dark(protected from light) for 24 hours under argon. The N, N-dicyclohexylurea formed was filtered and the filtrate washed with water (3×10 ml),5% acetic acid solution (3×5 ml) and again with water (3×5 ml), dried(MgSO₄) and evaporated. The solid residue was redissolved in hexane andapplied on silica Sep-Pak cartridge (2 g). Elution with hexane (10 ml)gave a small quantity of less polar compounds; further elution withhexane/ethyl acetate (9.7:0.3) provided the butyl ester of retinoicacid. Final purification was achieved by HPLC (10-mm×25 cm Zorbax-Silcolumn, 4 mL/min) using hexane/isopropanol (90:10) solvent system. Pureall-trans retinoyl butyrate 2 (22 mg, 18.5%) was eluted at R, 13 mL as athick oil. ¹H NMR(CDCl₃): δ 1.034 (9H, s, t-Bu), 1.546 (3H, s, 20-CH₃),1.719 (3H, s, 19-CH₃), 2.021 (6H, s, 16 & 17-CH₃), 2.405 (3H, s,18-CH₃), 5.784 (1H, s, 14-H), 6.150 (1H, d, J=5.61 Hz, 7-H), 6.170 (1H,s, 10-H), 6.304 (1H, d, J=4.43 Hz, 12-H), 6.335 (1H, d, J=5.49 Hz, 8-H),7.105 (1H, dd, J=11.48, 15 Hz, 11-H); MS m/z (relative intensity) 356(M⁺, 43), 342 (96), 328 (23), 300 (98).

EXAMPLE 3 (Scheme 3)

A solution of all-trans retinoic acid (100 mg, 0.33 mmol),carbonyldiimidazole (58.3 mg, 0.36 mmol) in anhydrous ether (5 ml) wasstirred at room temperature in dark (protected from light) for 2 hoursunder argon. The imidazole formed was then reacted with2-methyl-2-propanol (26.68 mg, 0.36 mmol) and stirred for 24 hours indark at room temperature. The reaction mixture was washed with water(3×10 ml), 5% acetic acid solution (3×5 ml) and again with water (3×5ml), dried (MgSO₄) and evaporated. The solid residue was redissolved inhexane and applied on silica Sep-Pak cartridge (2 g). Elution withhexane (10 ml) gave a small quantity of less polar compounds; furtherelution with hexane/ethyl acetate (9.7:0.3) provided the butyl ester ofretinoic acid. Final purification was achieved by HPLC (10-mm×25 cmZorbax-Sil column, 4 Ml/min) using hexane/isopropanol (90:10) solventsystem. Pure all-trans retinoyl butyrate 2 (18 mg, 15.1%) was eluted atR, 13 M1 as a thick oil. ¹H NMR (CDCl₃: δ 1.034 (9H, s, t-Bu), 1.546(3H, s, 20-CH₃), 1.719 (3H, s, 19-CH₃), 2.021 (6H, S, 16 & 17-CH₃),2.405 (3H, s, 18-CH₃), 5.784 (1H, s, 14-H), 6.150 (1H, d, J=5.61 Hz,7-H), 6.170 (1H, s, 10-H), 6.304 (1H, d, J=4.43 Hz, 12-H), 6.335 (1H, d,J=5.49 Hz, 8-H), 7.105 (1H, dd, J=11.48, 15 Hz, 11-H); MS m/z (relativeintensity) 356 (M⁺, 43), 342 (96), 328 (23), 300 (98).

EXAMPLE 4

Preparation of all-trans-retinoic acid cholesterol ester (SCHEME 4): Toa solution of all-trans retinoic acid (100 mg, 0.33 mmol) in anhydrousether (10 Ml) was added oxalyl chloride (42.3 mg, 0.33 mmol) at 0° C.and stirred at that temperature for 30 minutes and pyridine (28.7 mg,0.36 mmol) and cholesterol (140.36 mg, 0.36 mmol) were added and stirredat room temperature in dark for 16 h, after which time the reaction wascomplete as indicated by the TLC. The reaction mixture was then quenchedwith water and extracted with ether (3×10 Ml), washed with saturatedaqueous NaCl solution, dried (Na₂SO₄) and evaporated. The thick residuewas redissolved in hexane and applied on silica Sep-Pak cartridge (2 g).Elution with hexane/ethyl acetate (9.7:0.3) provided the cholesterolester of retinoic acid. Final purification was achieved by HPLC (10mm×25 cm Zorbax-Sil retinoic acid cholesterol ester (103 mg, 47%) waseluted at Rv 14 M1 as a thick oil. 1H NMR (CDCl₃): δ 0.7 (3H, s,18′-CH₃), 0.85 (6H, d, 26′& 27′-CH₃), 0.9 (3H, d, 21-CH₃), 1.546 (3H, s,20-CH₃), 1.719 (3H, s, 19-CH₃), 2.021 (6H, s, 16 & 17-CH₃), 2.405 (3H,s, 18-CH₃), 4.625 (1H, m, 3′-H), 5.37 (1H, t, 6′-H), 5.78 (1H, s, 14-H),6.150 (1H, d, J=5.59 Hz, 7-H), 6.17 (1H, s, 10-H), 6.30 (1H, d, J=4.4Hz, 12-H), 6.335 (1H, d, J=5.5 Hz, 8-H), 7.10 (1H, dd, J=11.48, 15 Hz,11-H); MS m/z 668, 369, 300.

EXAMPLE 5

Preparation of all-trans-retinoic acid pinacol ester: To a solution ofall-trans retinoic acid (100 mg, 0.33 mmol) in anhydrous ether (10 mL)was added oxalyl chloride (42.3 mg, 0.33 mmol) at 0° C. and stirred atthat temperature for 30 minutes and pyridine (28.7 mg, 0.36 mmol) andpinacol (42.89 mg, 0.36 mmol) were added and stirred at room temperaturein dark for 16 h, after which time the reaction was complete asindicated by the TLC. The reaction mixture was then quenched with waterand extracted with ether (3×10 mL), washed and saturated aqueous NaClsolution, dried (Na2SO4) and evaporated. The thick residue wasredissolved in hexane and applied on silica Sep-Pak cartridge (2 g).Elution with hexane/ethyl acetate (9.5:0.5) provided the pinacol esterof retinoic acid. Final purification was achieved by HPLC (10 mm×25 cmZorbax-Sil column, 4 mL/min) using hexane/isopropanol (90:10) solventsystem. Pure all-trans retinoic acid pinacol ester (103 mg, 47%) waseluted at Rv 16 mL as a thick oil. 1H NMR (CDCl₃): δ 1.2 (6H, s,2′-CH₃), 1.4 (6H, s, 1′-CH₃), 1.546 (3H, s, 20-CH₃), 1.719 (3H, s,19-CH₃), 2.021 (6H, s, 16 & 17-CH₃), 2.405 (3H, s, 18-CH₃), 4.625 (1H,m, 1′-CH), 5.78 (1H, s, 14-H), 6.150 (1H, d, J=5.59 Hz, 7-H), 6.17 (1H,s, 10-H), 6.30 (1H, d, J=4.4 Hz, 12-H), 6.335 (1H, d, J=5.5 Hz, 8-H),7.10 (1H, dd, J=11.48, 15 Hz, 11-H); MS m/z 400, 382, 300.

EXAMPLE 6

a. Experimental

The first test was to determine if the esterified compounds when givenorally could restore normal growth of vitamin A-deficient rats. For thisstudy, Sprague-Dawley, weanling rats were obtained from Harlan(Indianapolis, Ind.). They were fed the purified vitamin A-deficientdiet previously described (Suda et al., 1970, J. Nutr. 100:1049-152)supplemented with vitamins D, E and K (White et al., 1998, Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. USA 95:13459-13464). When the animals stopped growing andbegan to lose weight, they were administered the indicated doses per daydissolved in Wesson oil. Controls were given the Wesson oil alone(vehicle group). The weight change over the 5-day study period wasanalyzed by ANOVA, followed by a matrix of pairwise comparisonprobabilities using four post-hoc tests when the overall P value wasless than 0.05. The post-hoc comparison tests included: Turkey HSDmultiple comparisons, Sheffe test, Fisher's least-significant-differencetest and the Bonferroni adjustment test. A result was consideredsignificant only if more than two post-hoc analyses resulted in aP<0.05.

The results of two experiments show that the t-butyl-RA derivative givenat 83 pmoles/day (29.8 μg/day) supported growth over a 5-day period thatdid not differ significantly from that of the group fed an equal molaramount of atRA (25 μg/day). On the other hand, the animals receiving novitamin A (vehicle control) continued to lose weight as indicated inFIG. 1 (P<0.01 compared to atRA and the t-butyl-RA groups). When thecompounds were given at 166 pmoles/day for a 5-day period, (50 μg/dayatRA or 59.5 μg/day t-butyl-RA), the growth response of vitaminA-deficient rats was also equivalent, whereas, the vehicle-treatedanimals continued to lose weight (FIG. 2). FIG. 3 summarizes theseresults in a bar graph that illustrates that the t-butyl derivative isas active as atRA in vivo.

FIG. 4 provides data obtained with the pinacol ester and the cholesterolester. It shows that the pinacol ester has growth-supporting activity invitamin A-deficient rats as does the cholesterol ester, and bothcompounds showed significantly enhanced growth compared to vehiclecontrol animals (P<0.05). However, whereas the growth of atRA-supportedanimals was superior to that of the cholesterol ester-fed group(P<0.05), the pinacol ester was intermediary in efficacy between thetwo, and did not differ significantly from either of these twocompounds. Thus, the pinacol ester is nearly equivalent to atRA inrestoring the growth of vitamin A-deficient rats, whereas thecholesterol ester is less effective.

Two independent toxicity studies were carried out with the t-butyl-RAderivative. FIG. 5 shows that 1 mmole/kg/day (300 mg/kg/day) of atRAproduced severe acute weight loss over a period of 7 days as well asother signs of toxicity (loss of appetite, hair loss, diarrhea). Incontrast, the same molar amount of t-butyl-RA (357 mg/kg/day) enabledcontinued growth of the animals and revealed no other externally obvioustoxicity. In a separate study shown in FIG. 6, at equal molarconcentrations (1 mmole/kg/day for 5 days), t-butyl-RA showed noapparent toxicity, whereas atRA produced severe acute weight loss(P≦0.001) and outward symptoms of toxicity as described in the previousstudy. The toxicity of atRA was also illustrated by the reduction intestes weight that occurred in both experiments over the study period,whereas the t-butyl derivative showed no such indication (FIG. 7 anddata not shown). However, the difference in testes weights between theatRA and t-butyl-RA groups was not statistically significant due torather large biological variability.

Teratogenic activity of atRA is a serious drawback in its therapeuticpotential. We, therefore, determined whether the t-butyl-RA derivativecould circumvent the teratogenic activity exhibited by atRA. The resultsof the study are summarized in FIG. 8 and Table 1. A single dose of atRA(0.1 mmole/kg or 30 mg/kg) given to pregnant rats at embryonic day 12.3produced significant shortening of the ulna (FIG. 8) and resulted inskeletal abnormalities in 13 embryos out of a total of 17 examined fromfour separate litters (Table 1). The control animals receiving the oilvehicle showed no abnormalities for the 18 embryos examined from fourseparate litters. The t-butyl retinoid given at 0.1 mmole/kg (35.7mg/kg) also showed no abnormalities in 12 embryos examined from fourlitters. However, when a 10-fold higher dose of the t-butyl derivative(1 mmole/kg or 357 mg/kg) was given, 10 of 13 embryos showedabnormalities. The results of this experiment illustrate that atRA is,indeed, teratogenic and that the t-butyl derivative shares thisliability, but only when given at a dose of 10 times higher than that ofatRA. Thus, there is a larger window of safety when using the t-butyl-RAderivative when compared to atRA.

b. Biological activity of the t-butyl ester or the cholesterol ester orthe pinacol ester in supporting growth of vitamin A-deficient rats.

Weanling male rats were obtained from the Harlan Company and were housedindividually in hanging wire cages and fed the vitamin A-deficient dietdescribed previously (Suda et al., 1970). At approximately 70 days ofage, the animals began to show a leveling off of growth and began toshow weight loss. At this time, they were used for the followingstudies: They were given either 0.1 ml of Wesson oil (vehicle) or theindicated dose of atRA dissolved in the vehicle or one of thederivatives at the indicated dose dissolved in the vehicle. Body weightswere recorded daily and plotted as cumulative weight gain or loss overthe study period as indicated on the graphs. A daily dose of 83 pmoles(25 μg/day) of atRA is near the minimum amount needed to produce normalgrowth in vitamin D-deficient rats as compared to the vehicle controlsthat continue to lose weight (FIG. 1). The t-butyl derivative at thesame molar dose (83 pmoles or 29.75 μg/day) showed a growth responsethat did not differ from that of atRA over the 5 day test period, butwas significantly different from the vehicle oil group (P<0.01). Whenthe dose was increased to 50 μg/day of atRA or 59.5 μg/day of thet-butyl derivative, as expected, the growth response was identical.Thus, t-butyl-RA is equal to atRA in potency and efficacy, and can fullysatisfy the growth requirement for vitamin A-deficient rats. FIG. 3provides a summary of these results.

FIG. 4 provides data obtained with the pinacol ester and the cholesterolester. These results clearly show that both the pinacol ester and thecholesterol ester are able to support growth of vitamin A-deficientrats, with the pinacol nearly equivalent to atRA, and the cholesterolester less so but nevertheless clearly much improved over the vehiclecontrol. These results illustrate that these two esterified formsprovide atRA to support growth. We estimate that the pinacol ester isnearly as active as atRA and the cholesterol ester is perhaps one-thirdas active.

c. Assessment of the toxicity of atRA versus the t-butyl-RA derivative.

We next examined the actute toxicity of the t-butyl derivative ascompared to the atRA derivative in two independent trails. In theseexperiments, normal male rats weighing approximately 250-300 grams wereused. They were individually housed in cages and given Purina lab chowas well as water ad libitum. In the first study shown in FIG. 5, acomparison between the t-butyl derivative and the atRA derivativeillustrates that t-butyl-RA did not cause a weight loss whenadministered at 1 mmole/kg/day (357 mg/kg/day). This is an extremelylarge dose, and represents at least 3,600 times the amount of thet-butyl derivative needed to support a physiological growth response invitamin A-deficient rats. On the other hand, an equal molar amount (300mg/kg/day) of atRA produced a significant weight reduction (P<0.001) andsymptoms of vitamin A toxicity. When the experiment was repeated, weagain found that 300 mg/kg of atRA caused a severe weight loss comparedto the t-butyl-RA and vehicle groups (FIG. 6, P≦0.001). On the otherhand, the vehicle control and the t-butyl derivative given at 1mmole/kg/day resulted in normal growth. Another indication of toxicityis testes weight as illustrated in FIG. 7. The testes weights of thevehicle and the t-butyl derivative were similar verifying that thisester did not cause overt toxicity, whereas a depression in testicularweight was observed with atRA given at 1 mmole/kg/day (300 mg/kg/day).

d. Teratogenic activity of atRA versus t-butyl-RA.

In this experiment, 19 female rats were obtained from Sprague Dawley andwere individually housed in cages and given purina chow as well as waterad libitum. After approximately two weeks of acclimation to the animalfacility, the females were placed with normal males on the same diet,between 6:00 and 9:00 pm. The following morning, the females werechecked for vaginal plugs indicating fertilization. Vaginal smears werethen checked for sperm and when shown to be positive, the pregnant ratwas placed in the study. At embryonic day 12.3 between 9:00 and 10:00 inthe morning, the rats received the following treatments given as a bolusdose in oil orally. Four groups of rats received the vehicle; fourreceived 0.1 mmole/kg (30 mg/kg) atRA in the oil vehicle; another groupreceived an equal molar amount (35.7 mg/kg) oft-butyl-RA; and a finalgroup received a ten-fold higher dose (357 mg/kg) of t-butyl-RA. Theembryos were removed by cesarean section on day 18.5 and weighed as wellas checked for cleft palette. All embryos had approximately normalweight and no cleft palette was observed in any group. The embryos werefixed in 95% ethanol and a subset were randomly selected from eachlitter for staining to determine skeletal abnormalities. The onlyabnormalities observed at the 0.1 mmole/kg dose were markedly shortenedulnae in the atRA-treated group (FIG. 8). The results of this study showthat t-butyl-RA is less teratogenic than atRA. The t-butyl-RA derivativeis teratogenic when given at very high doses (1 mmole/kg), i.e. 10 timesthat of atRA (0.1 mmole/kg) where a similar percentage of skeletalabnormalities were observed (Table 1). We estimate, therefore, that thet-butyl derivative is approximately 10 times less teratogenic than atRA.

TABLE 1 Teratogenic activity of atRA and its t-butyrate ester EMBRYOSTREATMENT abnormal/total examined vehicle  0/18 (0%) atRA (0.1 mmole/kg)13/17 (76%) t-butyl-RA (0.1 mmole/kg)  0/12 (0%) t-butyl-RA (1.0mmole/kg) 10/13 (77%)

Compounds

The present invention also provides compounds which are useful in thetreatment and prophylaxis of all diseases and disorders where retinoidcompounds have been shown effective, such as proliferative skindisorders characterized by abnormal cell proliferation or celldifferentiation (e.g. dermatitis, eczema, keratosis, acne and psoriasis)and they should provide especially useful for the treatment ofneoplastic diseases such as skin cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer,prostate cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, neuroblastoma, andleukemia as well as skin conditions such as wrinkles, lack of adequateskin firmness, lack of adequate dermal hydration, and insufficient sebumsecretion.

These modified retinoid compounds are hydrolyzable in vivo to the parentretinoid, or analogs of the retinoid, over a period of time followingadministration, and as a consequence regulate the in vivo availabilityof the active retinoid, or analogs of the retinoid, thereby alsomodulating their activity profile in vivo. The term “activity profile”refers to the biological response over time of retinoid compounds suchas atRA or analogs of atRA. Individual modified compounds, or mixturesof such compounds, can be administered to “fine tune” a desired timecourse of response.

As used herein the term “retinoid” or “retinoid compound” encompassescompounds which a class of compounds consisting of four isoprenoid unitsjoined in a head-to-tail manner. All retinoids may be formally derivedfrom a monocyclic parent compound containing five carbon-carbon doublebonds and a functional group at the terminus of the acyclic portion. Theterm vitamin A should be used as the generic descriptor for retinoidsexhibiting qualitatively the biological activity of retinol. This termshould be used in derived terms such as vitamin A activity, vitamin Adeficiency, vitamin A antagonist, etc. Examples of such retinoids werepreviously described and illustrated herein. As used herein the term“modified retinoid” or “modified retinoid compound” encompasses anyretinoid in which one or more of the carboxyl functional groups presentin such retinoid are modified to form an ester by derivatization with ahighly sterically hindered compound, which is preferably an alcohol. A“highly sterically hindered compound” encompasses compounds which havegroups of significant size that are immediately adjacent to the carbonatom containing the desired functional group, e.g. alcohol or amino, andprovides a carboxyl-modifying group that can be hydrolyzed in vivo so asto regenerate the carboxyl function and the original parent retinoid.

Structurally, the modified retinoid compounds having the desirable invivo bioactivity profile are ester derivatives of retinoids and may berepresented by the formulaR—O—R¹where R is a retinoyl and R¹ is a highly sterically hindered functionalgroup selected from the group consisting of a first structure having theformula

where R₁ and R₂ which may be the same or different, are eachindependently selected from the group consisting of a straight chain orbranched alkyl group in all isomeric forms having 1 to 20 carbon atoms,preferably 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and aryl, and a second structure havingthe formula

where R₃, R₄ and R₅ which may be the same or different are eachindependently selected from the group consisting of a straight chain orbranched alkyl group in all isomeric forms having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,preferably 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and an aryl group.

The term “retinoyl” refers to a retinoid wherein the carboxyl functionalgroup (—COOH) of the retinoid is missing its hydroxyl (—OH) group. Thus,a retinoyl can be represented by the formula

Accordingly, R in the above formula may be a retinoyl of any retinoid,and is preferably a retinoyl of a retinoid selected from the groupconsisting of

-   -   all-trans-retinoic acid;    -   9-cis-retinoic acid;    -   11-cis-retinoic acid;    -   13-cis-retinoic acid;    -   9,13-di-cis-retinoic acid;    -   TTNPB;    -   TTNN;    -   TTAB;    -   UAB8;    -   AM80;    -   AM580;    -   AM555S;    -   AGN 193836;    -   AGN 190299;    -   CD 2019;    -   CD 417;    -   R_(o) 48-2249;    -   R_(o) 44-4753;    -   R_(o) 10-9359;    -   SR 11254;    -   BMS 185354;    -   AGN 190299;    -   CD 437 (AHPN);    -   SR 11247;    -   SR 11217;    -   SR 11237;    -   AGN 191701;    -   LDG 100268;    -   LDG 100568;    -   LGD 100754;    -   R_(o) 25-7386;    -   BMS 188970;    -   SR 11004; and    -   SR 11203.        The preferred retinoyl is a retinoyl of all-tran-retinoic acid        (atRA).

Any highly sterically hindered functional group or compound may be usedas substituent R¹ as long as it hydrolyzes in vivo to the parentretinoid and reduces the toxicity of the retinoid.

Preferred highly sterically hindered functional groups comprisestructures derived from secondary and tertiary alcohols such as tertiarybutyl (t-butyl) having the formula

as well as pinacol having the formula

and cholesterol having the formula

Three sterically hindered alcohol esters of atRA were synthesized aspreviously described herein, namely, the t-butyrate ester (retinoylt-butyrate, also referred to herein as t-butyl-RA) having the formula

as well as the pinacol ester (retinoyl pinacol) having the formula

and the cholesterol ester (retinoyl cholesterol) having the formula

The above modified retinoid compounds may be administered to a subjectin need thereof individually, in combinations of modified retinoidcompounds, or in combination with other active pharmaceutical agents,together with a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, in apharmaceutical composition. As is well known, the modified retinoidcompounds may be present in a pharmaceutical composition to treat and/orprevent the previously mentioned diseases and disorders in apharmaceutically effective amount. For example, in a topicalformulation, the modified retinoid compounds may be present in an amountof from about 0.01 mg/gm to about 100 mg/gm of the composition. However,the modified retinoid compounds may be administered topically,transdermally, orally or parenterally, and typical oral dosages are fromabout 0.5 mg/day to about 5 g/day. The proportion of each of thecompounds in the composition is dependent upon the particular diseasestate being addressed and the degree of activity desired. In all cases,effective amounts of the compound should be used. In practice, thehigher doses are used where therapeutic treatment of a disease state isthe desired end while the lower doses are generally used forprophylactic purposes, it being understood that the specific dosageadministered in any given case will be adjusted in accordance with thespecific compounds being administered, the disease to be treated, thecondition of the subject and the other relevant medical facts that maymodify the activity of the drug or the response of the subject, as iswell known by those skilled in the art. In general, either a singledaily dose or divided daily dosages may be employed, as is well known inthe art.

For treatment and/or prophylaxis purposes, the compounds of thisinvention may be formulated for pharmaceutical applications as asolution in innocuous solvents, or as an emulsion, suspension ordispersion in suitable oils, solvents or carriers, or as creams,lotions, ointments, topical patches, pills, tablets or capsules,together with solid carriers, according to conventional methods known inthe art. Any such formulations may also contain otherpharmaceutically-acceptable and non-toxic excipients such asstabilizers, anti-oxidants, binders, coloring agents or emulsifying ortaste-modifying agents. The compounds may be administered orally,topically, parenterally or transdermally. The compounds areadvantageously administered by injection or by intravenous infusion orsuitable sterile solutions, or in the form of liquid or solid doses viathe alimentary canal, or in the form of creams, ointments, patches, orsimilar vehicles suitable for transdermal applications.

Compositions for use in the above-mentioned treatment and prophylacticuses comprise an effective amount of one or more modified retinoidcompound as defined by the above formula as the active ingredient, and asuitable carrier. An effective amount of such compounds for use in oralformulations in accordance with this invention is from about 0.01 mg toabout 100 mg per gm of composition. However, the active ingredients maybe administered topically, transdermally, orally or parenterally, andtypical oral dosages are from about 0.5 mg/day to about 5 g/day.

The formulations of the present invention comprise an active ingredientin association with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier therefore andoptionally other therapeutic ingredients. The carrier must be“acceptable” in the sense of being compatible with the other ingredientsof the formulations and not deleterious to the recipient thereof.

Formulations of the present invention suitable for oral administrationmay be in the form of discrete units as capsules, sachets, tablets orlozenges, each containing a predetermined amount of the activeingredient; in the form of a powder or granules; in the form of asolution or a suspension in an aqueous liquid or non-aqueous liquid; orin the form of an oil-in-water emulsion or a water-in-oil emulsion.

Formulations for rectal administration may be in the form of asuppository incorporating the active ingredient and carrier such ascocoa butter, or in the form of an enema.

Formulations suitable for parenteral administration convenientlycomprise a sterile oily or aqueous preparation of the active ingredientwhich is preferably isotonic with the blood of the recipient.

Formulations suitable for topical administration include liquid orsemi-liquid preparations such as liniments, lotions, applicants,oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsions such as creams, ointments orpastes; or solutions or suspensions such as drops; or as sprays.

Inhalation of powder, self-propelling or spray formulations, dispensedwith a spray can, a nebulizer or an atomizer can also be used. Theformulations, when dispensed, preferably have a particle size in therange of 10 to 100 μg.

The formulations may conveniently be presented in dosage unit form andmay be prepared by any of the methods well known in the art of pharmacy.By the term “dosage unit” is meant a unitary, i.e. a single dose whichis capable of being administered to a patient as a physically andchemically stable unit dose comprising either the active ingredient assuch or a mixture of it with solid or liquid pharmaceutical diluents orcarriers.

1. A method of treating a disease caused by abnormal cell proliferationor cell differentiation where the disease is psoriasis, or the diseaseis a skin disorder selected from the group consisting of dermatitis,eczema and keratosis, comprising administering to a patient with saiddisease an effective amount of a retinoid ester said retinoid esterhaving the formulaR—O—R¹ where R is a retinoyl of a retinoid selected from the groupconsisting of all-trans-retinoic acid, 9-cis-retinoic acid,11-cis-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, 9,13-di-cis-retinoic acid,TTNPB, TTNN, TTAB, UAB8, AM8O, AM580, AM555S, AGN 193836, AGN 190299, CD2019, CD 417, R₀ 48-2249, R₀ 44-4753, R₀ 10-9359, SR 11254, BMS 185354,AGN 190299, CD 437 (AHPN), SR 11247, SR 11217, SR 11237, AGN 191701, LDG100268, LDG 100568, LGD 100754, R₀ 25-7386, BMS 188970, SR 11004, and SR11203 and R¹ is a highly sterically hindered functional group having theformula

where R₃, R₄ and R₅ which may be the same or different are eachindependently selected from the group consisting of a straight chain orbranched alkyl group in all isomeric forms having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.2. The method of claim 1 wherein the retinoid ester is administeredorally, parenterally, transdermally or topically.
 3. The method of claim1 wherein the retinoid ester is administered in a dosage of from about 5mg to about 5 g per day.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the retinoidester has the formula


5. A method of treating acne comprising administering to a patient withacne an effective amount of a retinoid ester said retinoid ester havingthe formulaR—O—R¹ where R is a retinoyl of a retinoid selected from the groupconsisting of all-trans-retinoic acid, 9-cis-retinoic acid,11-cis-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, 9,13-di-cis-retinoic acid,TTNPB, TTNN, TTAB, UAB8, AM8O, AM580, AM555S, AGN 193836, AGN 190299, CD2019, CD 417, R₀ 48-2249, R₀ 44-4753, R₀ 10-9359, SR 11254, BMS 185354,AGN 190299, CD 437 (AHPN), SR 11247, SR 11217, SR 11237, AGN 191701, LDG100268, LDG 100568, LGD 100754, R₀ 25-7386, BMS 188970, SR 11004, and SR11203 and R¹ is a highly sterically hindered functional group having theformula

where R₃, R₄ and R₅ which may be the same or different are eachindependently selected from the group consisting of a straight chain orbranched alkyl group in all isomeric forms having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.6. The method of claim 5 wherein the retinoid ester is administeredorally, parenterally, transdermally or topically.
 7. The method of claim5 wherein the retinoid ester is administered in a dosage of from about 5mg to about 5 g per day.
 8. The method of claim 5 wherein the retinoidester has the formula


9. A method of treating skin conditions selected from the groupconsisting of lack of skin firmness, wrinkles, lack of dermal hydrationand insufficient sebum secretion which comprises administering to apatient with one of said skin conditions an effective amount of aretinoid ester said retinoid ester having the formulaR—O—R¹ where R is a retinoyl of a retinoid selected from the groupconsisting of all-trans-retinoic acid, 9-cis-retinoic acid,11-cis-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, 9,13-di-cis-retinoic acid,TTNPB, TTNN, TTAB, UAB8, AM8O, AM580, AM555S, AGN 193836, AGN 190299, CD2019, CD 417, R₀ 48-2249, R₀ 44-4753, R₀ 10-9359, SR 11254, BMS 185354,AGN 190299, CD 437 (AHPN), SR 11247, SR 11217, SR 11237, AGN 191701, LDG100268, LDG 100568, LGD 100754, R₀ 25-7386, BMS 188970, SR 11004, and SR11203 and R¹ is a highly sterically hindered functional group having theformula

where R₃, R₄ and R₅ which may be the same or different are eachindependently selected from the group consisting of a straight chain orbranched alkyl group in all isomeric forms having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.10. The method of claim 9 wherein the retinoid ester is administeredorally, parenterally, transdermally or topically.
 11. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the retinoid ester is administered in a dosage of fromabout 5 mg to about 5 g per day.
 12. The method of claim 9 wherein theretinoid ester has the formula


13. A method of treating a disease caused by abnormal cell proliferationor cell differentiation where the disease is psoriasis, or the diseaseis a skin disorder selected from the group consisting of dermatitis,eczema and keratosis, comprising administering to a patient with saiddisease an effective amount of a retinoid ester, said retinoid esterhaving the formula

where R₃, R₄ and R₅ which may be the same or different are eachindependently selected from the group consisting of a straight chain orbranched alkyl group in all isomeric forms having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.14. The method of claim 13 wherein the retinoid ester is administeredorally, parenterally, transdermally or topically.
 15. The method ofclaim 13 wherein the retinoid ester is administered in a dosage of fromabout 5 mg to about 5 g per day.
 16. A method of treating acnecomprising administering to a patient with acne an effective amount of aretinoid ester said retinoid ester having the formula

where R₃, R₄ and R₅ which may be the same or different are eachindependently selected from the group consisting of a straight chain orbranched alkyl group in all isomeric forms having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.17. The method of claim 16 wherein the retinoid ester is administeredorally, parenterally, transdermally or topically.
 18. The method ofclaim 16 wherein the retinoid ester is administered in a dosage of fromabout 5 mg to about 5 g per day.
 19. A method of treating skinconditions selected from the group consisting of lack of skin firmness,wrinkles, lack of dermal hydration and insufficient sebum secretionwhich comprises administering to a patient with one of said skinconditions an effective amount of a retinoid ester said retinoid esterhaving the formula

where R₃, R₄ and R₅ which may be the same or different are eachindependently selected from the group consisting of a straight chain orbranched alkyl group in all isomeric forms having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.20. The method of claim 19 wherein the retinoid ester is administeredorally, parenterally, transdermally or topically.
 21. The method ofclaim 19 wherein the retinoid ester is administered in a dosage of fromabout 5 mg to about 5 g per day.